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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) captain Faf du Plessis shared his first reaction to the team’s picks in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 Auction. With a strong core including Du Plessis, Virat Kohli, Glenn Maxwell and Rajat Patidar, RCB, before the auction, aimed to fortify their batting lineup further. Notable acquisitions, such as Cameron Green, were made to bolster the team’s overall strength.
RCB’s emphasis on bowling department
Therefore, RCB’s focused approach extended to strengthening the bowling department then during the auction. Alzarri Joseph, known for his express speed, was acquired for a substantial sum of INR 11.50 Cr. The team added pace to its attack with the inclusion of New Zealand‘s fast bowler Lockie Ferguson (INR 2 Cr) and England‘s Tom Curran (INR 1.50 Cr). Indian left-arm pacer Yash Dayal (INR 5 Cr) and spin all-rounder Swapnil Singh (Rs 20 lakh) were also brought in to introduce variation in the bowling attack.
Faf du Plessis initial thoughts on the Team’s IPL 2024 auction choices
Du Plessis emphasized that RCB’s priority was to select players who could perform well at home. This strategic focus aimed to build a squad capable of adapting to Indian conditions and delivering consistent performances throughout the IPL 2024 season.
After the last season, we felt like we needed to improve at home. One of the things that we did well was to succeed away from Chinnaswamy. So, we went away and put our heads together about what that look like to be better at home and how can we get better, in what ways can we improve? It’s definitely the auction and the process of the last two months has been solely around planning to be better at home and the type of bowlers and batsmen that will be successful at home,” Du Plessis was quoted as saying by India Today.
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Hectic planning period
The 39-year-old further revealed that the pre-auction period was hectic for him and the team’s think tank. They invested a significant amount of time crafting a detailed plan, providing them with clarity as they entered the auction. This meticulous planning reflects RCB’s commitment to building a competitive and well-balanced team for the upcoming IPL season.
We spent a lot of time talking about RCB and where we wanted to take the franchise. I think it’s always really important that you do your homework and make sure you look at every area and talk it through. And I feel like our relation, the three of us [head coach Andy Flower and Director of Cricket Mo Bobat], obviously with the help of a lot of the team, Freddie [Wilde] the analyst and [Adam] Griffith the bowling coach, Malolan Rangarajan, (Head of Scouting) and even Rajesh V Menon (VP and Head of RCB), I feel like we are very well-connected leadership group,” the Pretoria-born cricketer concluded.
